System Versions

Chapter 11: The Dark System

Brad stood in front of the massive, ancient door, his heart racing with anticipation. He had always been confident in his abilities, but the unknown nature of the Awakening trial made him feel uneasy.

As he approached the door, it slowly creaked open, revealing a narrow passageway that stretched out into the darkness. Brad stepped through the doorway and into the unknown.

He found himself in a maze of reflections, with multiple paths stretching out in every direction. The walls of the maze were made of a strange, mirror-like material that seemed to reflect every aspect of Brad's personality.

As he navigated the twisting passageways, Brad heard the sound of whispers echoing off the walls. The whispers were soft and raspy, and they seemed to be coming from all directions at once.

"Turn back now, Brad," the whispers seemed to be saying. "You're not worthy of the Awakening."

Brad's heart skipped a beat as he heard the whispers. He tried to shake off the feeling of unease, but it only seemed to grow stronger.

The maze seemed to shift and change around him, with new paths opening up and old ones disappearing. Brad felt like he was being herded towards some unknown destination, and he didn't like it one bit.

As Brad navigated the twisting passageways of the maze, he stumbled upon a hidden chamber deep within the labyrinth. The room was dimly lit, with flickering candles that cast eerie shadows on the walls.

Seated on a throne-like chair was a figure shrouded in darkness. The air around him seemed to ripple and distort, as if reality itself was bending to accommodate his presence.

The figure's aura was dark and evil, a palpable presence that seemed to fill the air with malevolent energy. He was surrounded by an aura of shadowy tendrils that seemed to writhe and twist like living things.

"Welcome, Brad," the figure said in a voice that was both ancient and evil. "I have been waiting for Someone who is worthy to receive my power,"

"I see a darkness in you," the figure said, his voice low and menacing. "A darkness that I can help you unleash. My power has been hidden away for centuries, Come and accept me, and I will give you my power."

The figure stood up and took a step closer, his eyes burning with dark energy.

"Power that feeds on darkness and chaos, power to raise the creatures of the Hollows to do your bidding. Power that will grant you unimaginable strength and power"

Brad felt a shiver run down his spine as the figure spoke. There was something about his words that seemed to resonate deep within him, something that seemed to awaken a dark and ancient power that had been lying dormant within him.

As Brad thought about Mohamed, a burning resentment ignited within him. He remembered the times Mohamed had outdone him, the times he had stolen the spotlight. Brad's anger and jealousy simmered, fueling his desire for revenge.

With a fierce determination, Brad accepted the figure's offer. As soon as he did, a wave of immense pain washed over him. It was as if his body was being torn apart from the inside out, his cells screaming in agony as they were rewritten to accommodate the dark power.

The pain was like nothing Brad had ever experienced before. It was a searing, burning sensation that seemed to pierce his very soul. He felt like he was being consumed by an eternal darkness, a void that was sucking him in with an inexorable force.

As the pain raged on, Brad's vision began to blur. He felt himself being pulled down into the depths of the darkness, further and further away from the light. His screams were drowned out by the sound of his own heartbeat, which pounded in his chest like a drum.

And yet, even as the pain threatened to consume him, Brad felt a twisted sense of exhilaration. He knew that he was being transformed, that he was being remade into something new and powerful.

The darkness seemed to be alive, twisting and writhing around him like a living thing. It was a palpable presence, a malevolent force that seemed to be seeping into his very bones.

As the pain finally began to recede, Brad felt himself being reborn. He was no longer the same person he had been before. He was stronger, darker, and more powerful.

And he knew that he would stop at nothing to destroy Mohamed, to take back the spotlight and reclaim his rightful place as the strongest.

As Brad's vision began to clear, he saw a notification hovering in front of him. The words seemed to burn with an otherworldly energy, and Brad felt a shiver run down his spine as he read them.

[Host Has accepted the Dark System]

[A new life form Has been acquired]

The words seemed to sear themselves into Brad's brain, and he felt a wave of darkness wash over him. He tried to raise his hand, to touch the notification, but his body felt heavy and unresponsive.

As the darkness closed in around him, Brad felt himself being pulled down into a deep, abyssal sleep. He was aware of nothing except the sound of his own heartbeat, and the faint, echoing whisper of the notification.

And then, everything went black.

------

It had been a week since the Awakening started. Mrs. Silver stood at the center of the metal structure, her eyes gleaming with intensity as she paced back and forth, wearing a worried expression.

"How can he still be in there?" she muttered to herself. "Was the Affinity score wrong...? No, I was sure he was the one. What do I do?"

Just then, a mysterious man walked into the room, his presence commanding attention. He was tall and imposing, with piercing eyes and a chiseled jawline. He was dressed in a long, black coat with a silver pin on his lapel.

"Ah, Mrs. Silver," the man said, his voice low and commanding. "I trust that the students are progressing well in their Awakening trials?"

Mrs. Silver turned to face the man, her eyes gleaming with intensity. "All but four students have successfully awakened an ability," she said. 

The man's eyes narrowed, his gaze scanning the room. "I see," he said. "And the boy with the perfect affinity?"

Mrs. Silver hesitated for a moment before responding. "Still in the process," she said.

The man's eyes locked onto Mrs. Silver, his gaze intense. "Keep a close eye on him," he said. "And inform me if anything changes."

With that, the man turned and walked out of the structure, leaving Mrs. Silver staring after him in silence.

She turned her attention back to the students, who were still in the process of Awakening in the metal structure, their eyes skill showed milky white.

Mrs. Silver's gaze lingered on Mohamed .

As she watched, Mrs. Silver's expression grew increasingly concerned. What was taking him so long to awaken? would he die in there?

...

 Mrs. Silver's eyes were fixed intently on the Students, her expression a mixture of concern and anticipation. She had been waiting for what felt like an eternity for the students to complete the Awakening trial.

Just then, Angel's hand slipped away from the glowing stone on the statue, and she stumbled backwards, her eyes blinking in the bright light. Mrs. Silver's face broke into a wide smile as she rushed over to congratulate Angel.

Next, Brad's hand dropped away from the stone, and he took a step back, his eyes scanning the room in confusion. Mrs. Silver beamed with pride as she patted Brad on the back.

Finally, Mohamed's hand slipped away from the stone, and he took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with a newfound intensity. Mrs. Silver's smile grew even wider as she turned to Mohamed.

.....

....

[Rite Stone is being Absorbed]

[Absorption process... 0%/100%]

[Absorption process... 1%/100%]

[Absorption process... 2%/100%]

...

[Absorption process... 50%/100%]

...

[Absorption process... 75%/100%]

...

[Absorption process... 100%/100%]

[Absorption complete.]

[System Update Complete].

[Host has absorbed the power of the Rite stone]

[System version: 2.0 unlocked]

[Syncing with host Completed... ]

[Hidden Quest Complete]

[Goal: Upgrade the system version (Complete)] 

[Reward: 100 Credit]

Numerous notifications appear on Mohamed's site.

[Status]

[Name: Mohamed Almond]

[Level: 20 (Sky level)]

[Hp: 100]

[Strength: 20]

[Agility: 20]

[Intellect: 20]

[Endurance: 20]

[Charisma: 20]

[Mana: 20]

[Exp: 0/100]

[Credits: 100]

[Influence points have been upgraded to experience points.]

[Hand-to-hand combat skills have been upgraded to martial arts.]

[Shop has been unlocked.]

Mohamed's eyes widened as he took in the updated information. "Whoa, I completed an hidden quest? That's insane!" He thought to himself.

As he processed the new data, Mohamed couldn't help but compare it to the old System version 1.0. He remembered how limited it was, with no levels, no experience points, and no shop. His stats were all below 15 points.

[Skills]

[Martial arts]

[Master of persuasion]

[Expertise in hacking]

Mohamed nodded to himself. "These skills are going to come in handy."

[Skills can be bought in shop with credits]

Mohamed's eyes lit up. "A shop? That means I can buy new skills and upgrade my abilities."

[Items can be bought or sold in shop]

Mohamed thought to himself, "I wonder what kind of items I can buy or sell."

[Shop]

Potions: 

[Health potions (+20 HP): (5 credit)]

[Strength potions (+5point to Strength for 1 hour) (5 credit)]

[Mana potions (+20 MP)(30 credit)]

-Skills:

[Acrobatics (+5 Agility) (50 credit)],

[Stealth (Conceal host presence for 5 min)(40 credit)],

[Persuasion (+5 Charisma)(50 credit)]

-Abilities:

[Speed (+50% speed, can be used 3times before 30-minute cooldown)(50 credit)]

[Steel Skin (+30% defense for 1 hour)(50 credit)],

Healing Hands ( adds +10 HP and increase regeneration(50 credit)

-Buffs:

[Speed buff (+10% speed for 1 hour)(3 credit)],

[Shield buff (+10% defense for 1 hour)(3 credit)]

.....

Mohamed grinned, feeling a sense of excitement and accomplishment. "Now, I can track my progress and level up to become stronger. This is amazing!" He felt a sense of motivation and determination. "I can do so much more now. I can upgrade my abilities, buy new skills, and equipment. The possibilities are endless."

As he stood there, Mohamed slowly removed his hand from the Rite stone embedded in the Luminari being statue. As he did, he noticed that the stone was no longer shining. It had lost its power.

"I guess I did absorb its power," Mohamed thought to himself.

"System, what does it mean by 'Sky level' close to my level?" he asked the system internally.

["It means you are still weak..."]

"huh... But all my stat is at 20 points now and you still think i am weak" Mohamed said annoyed

["The Sky level is one of the evaluation levels possible for you. It signifies that you have reached a certain level of power"]

Mohamed's curiosity was piqued. "What are the other evaluation levels?" he asked.

["There are the Sky level, the King level, the Hero level, and the God level."]

Mohamed's eyes widened. "Has anyone reached the God level?" he asked.

["Yes, there have been a few individuals who have reached the God level. However, there are levels beyond the God level that no one on Earth has achieved."]

"Do you know anyone Who has reach the god level" 

["One of them is the founder of the Order of the Luminari, who was said to possessed incredible power and abilities"]

Mohamed's thoughts turned to his current level. "I'm at level 20 now. But how long will it take me to reach God level?" 

["Without me... i will say a few hundreds years"]

"huh... what now, Are you serious?" Mohamed asked shock by the revelation.

["But don't worry... with me you can level up faster"]

 "How can I level up faster? What do I need to do to increase my level and stats?" Mohamed asked the System,

["To level up, you must gain experience points by completing quests, defeating enemies, and absorbing milestones. Host can also upgrade stats and abilities using credits and experience points."]

Mohamed nodded to himself, determination in his eyes. "Alright, let's do this. I'm ready to level up and become stronger."

>>>>

Just then, Mohamed heard Mrs. Silver's voice echoing through the temple. "Students who have just passed the Awakening trial, please gather around."

Mohamed looked around and saw that only four students were left in the temple, one of which is still touching the statue, blood dripping from all his holes

"Excellent!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with pride. "All three of you have successfully completed the Awakening trial! I am so proud of you!"

As Mrs. Silver congratulated the three students, she couldn't help but notice the last student still touching the statue. *sign* i guess someone dying is inevitable. she thought to herself.

Mrs. Silver notice the changes in brads auras. Brad's aura had darkened, taking on a strange, twisted quality that made Mrs. Silver's eyes narrow.

 "Now, please join the other four students outside who have also completed the Awakening test." Mrs. Silver announced 

The students followed Mrs. Silver out of the metal structure and into a bright, sunlit courtyard. Mrs. Silver's expression turned somber as she surveyed the group.

"I'm afraid not all of the students were successful in the Awakening" she said, her voice tinged with regret. "One student did not make it out."

The students exchanged nervous glances, but Mrs. Silver didn't elaborate. Instead, she led them to a shimmering portal that had appeared at the edge of the courtyard.

"Please, step through the portal," Mrs. Silver instructed. "We will be teleporting to a facility where you will learn more about your newfound abilities."